Module 4 - REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENT AND THE WTO: INTEGRATING EASTERN COUNTRIES INTO THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM
Objectives: (a) To provide an assessment of the linkages between WTO and Regional Trade Agreements -RTAs - (positive and negative effects of RTAs on the multilateral trade liberalization). (b) to look into how the enlargement of the EU will affect the WTO system; (c) to give some outlook on the future of regional and bilateral preferential agreements. At the end of modules 2-4, participants should have gathered the basic elements to assess the implications of the WTO system for their countries, and the necessary elements for identifying the links between national development issues, regional trade and the international trade agenda.
Free trade blocs formed by agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and customs unions such as the European Union (EU) have allowed countries to lower trade barriers among neighbors and political allies, while retaining flexibility over which sectors to liberalize and which issues to negotiate. Recently, there has been a surge of regional trade agreements (RTAs): about 162 RTAs are in force as of 2002 with over half of those coming into existence after 1995. The WTO estimates that over 300 will be in effect by 2007. RTAs, such as the ones being negotiated between the EU and Latin America, and between the US and the Association of South East Asian Nations, reflect a trend of trade liberalization outside of traditional regional boundaries. The outcome of the Cancun Ministerial Conference has underscored the difficulties inherent in that multilateral agreements and that many countries have focused on RTAs as the primary means of opening up international trade. A historic moment in the development of the European Union took place on 1 May when 10 countries joined the EU. Bulgaria and Romania have been given the prospect of entry in 2007.
Expected Outcome: Participants should know the context and impact of RTAs, what impact it has on the multilateral trade negotiations, its impact on development and integration into the European Union.
| Monday 19 July
2004 |
||
| 0900-1000 hrs: | The linkages between WTO and Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) -
Legal Aspects and Current Debate |
Presenter: T. Mathe w/J. Butkeviciene |
| 1000-1100 hrs: | Europe Agreement between the Czech Republic and the EC and preparation
of the Czech Republic for accession |
Presenter: Dr. M. Somol |
| 1130-1230 hrs: | General Debate |
Presenter: T. Mathe w/J. Butkeviciene |
The Way Forward in the Post-Cancun Period
of Multilateral Trade Negotiations |
||
1400- |
Interest and contribution of countries to promote
progressive liberalization in the context of bilateral/regional/multilateral
negotiations. Followed by the sharing of national experiences. |
Presenter: T. Mathe w/J. Butkeviciene |
Reading List go to top
| Module 4 | ||
| Thomas Mathew | Thomas Mathew was Malaysia's negotiator in the WTO in his capacity as Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Malaysia for a period of 6years. He was also Malaysia's representative in the WTO working groups on the so-called "Singapore Issues". |
| Jolita Butkeviciene | Jolita Butkeviciene has been working in UNCTAD since 1994 and is specializing in the area of services. She holds graduate degrees in economics from the Binghamton University, USA and Vilnius University, Lithuania, where she also taught econometrics and political economy respectively. She has been representing UNCTAD on the Inter-Agency Task Force on development of the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services. Her practical expertise is based on the work in the area of capacity building on services with the developing countries in Africa and Asia and in supporting developing countries and economies in transition in their accession negotiations to the WTO. She has been following multilateral trade process and negotiations in the area of services since 1995 and most recently has been supporting developing countries in their GATS 2000 negotiations. |
| Dr. Miroslav Somol |
Dr. Miroslav SOMOL is currently the Vice-Minister for multilateral policy and European Integration at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Prague. He had previously held the positions of Vice-Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for Trade. Dr. Somol also served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1996-2001. During this period he held the Chairmanship for the UN Human Rights Commission and the UN Economic Commission for Europe. Dr. Somol has a wide experience in multilateral and bilateral trade policy issues. He holds a Ph.D. in international public law and law of international organizations from the Charles Prague University. |